Archangel Dojo

Way of the empty hand book:

www.amazon.com/dp/B0GS1LXGZV

Shorinji Kempo is often overshadowed by more widely known martial arts, but behind it lies a very distinct system that blends technique, discipline, and inner development into one unified philosophy.

In this new video, I explore exactly that: what Shorinji Kempo is, how it developed, and why it stands apart from the “traditional” understanding of karate and other Japanese martial systems.

This is not just about techniques — it’s about the way of thinking behind them.

If you’re interested in the deeper context of martial arts, their history, and the philosophy that shapes them, this is a video worth watching to the end.

📘 Some of these ideas, and a broader reflection on martial arts as a way of life, are also explored in my book, where I go even deeper into the connection between training, character, and everyday life.

Link is in the description.

Let me know in the comments what you think about Shorinji Kempo — do you see it more as a fighting system, or as a philosophical path?

2 days ago | [YT] | 99

Archangel Dojo

American Kenpo is finally public.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eu9Qo...

This was one of the most requested videos on the channel, so I wanted to do it properly — not only Ed Parker, Elvis and Hollywood, but also the deeper Hawaiian Kenpo line through James Mitose and William Kwai Sun Chow.

American Kenpo is often remembered for fast hands, self-defense combinations, and its Hollywood image.

But behind that, there is a much bigger story:

Hawaii.
Mitose.
Chow.
Parker.
Elvis.
Hollywood.
And the question of whether American Kenpo was a brilliant modern self-defense system — or whether it became too complex and too choreographed.

The full video is now available on the channel.

My book Way of the Empty Hand is available on Amazon:
www.amazon.com/dp/B0GS1LXGZV

Follow Archangel Dojo:
Instagram: www.instagram.com/archangel_dojo/
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@archangel_gym
Patreon: www.patreon.com/c/ArchangelDojo

Oss.

1 week ago | [YT] | 111

Archangel Dojo

American Kenpo: From Hawaii to Hollywood.

The video is already online for channel members — 48 hours before everyone else.

Tomorrow at 15:00, it goes public.

This was one of the most requested videos on the channel, and I wanted to do it properly: James Mitose, William Chow, Ed Parker, Elvis, Hollywood, fast hands, self-defense, and the big question behind the system:

Was American Kenpo a brilliant modern martial art — or did it become too complex and too choreographed?

Members will continue to get early access to future long-form videos before public release.

My book Way of the Empty Hand is available on Amazon:
www.amazon.com/dp/B0GS1LXGZV

Oss.

1 week ago | [YT] | 81

Archangel Dojo

Way of the Empty Hand II — Chapter 6: The Legend Crosses the Sea is now available for channel members.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpChK...

This chapter follows Kimura’s return to Tokyo after Brazil — and a quiet conversation with Mas Oyama about reputation, karate, Japan, and how a legend can cross the ocean before the man himself.

Thank you to everyone supporting the channel and the upcoming book.

And for everyone else:

This Saturday — deep dive into American Kenpo.
Ed Parker, Hawaii, the evolution of Kenpo, and how one system became one of the most recognizable martial arts exports of the modern era.

1 week ago | [YT] | 16

Archangel Dojo

New video today at 15:00 CET on Archangel Dojo 🥋

After Nippon Kempo and Hawaiian Kempo/Kajukenbo, we are going further back — to Okinawa.

This episode is not just about one “Kenpo style.”

It is about the space between China, Okinawa, and Japan:
the place where Chinese martial methods, local Okinawan fighting traditions, and later Japanese karate began to overlap.

Before karate became Japanese, it was Okinawan.
And before it became the “empty hand,” it still carried the memory of the “Chinese hand.”

Okinawan Kenpo may be one of the most important missing links between Kung Fu and Karate.

Coming today at 15:00 CET.

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 143

Archangel Dojo

Most people hear the word “Kempo” and think they know what it means.

But Kempo is not one single story.

In the last video, we explored Nippon Kempo — Japan’s forgotten full-contact fighting system.

Now we follow another path.

Hawaii.
Kajukenbo.
Hawaiian Kempo.
John Hackleman.
The Pit.
And eventually — Chuck Liddell.

This is not the same lineage.
Not the same culture.
Not the same martial art.

But it comes from the same question:

What actually works when the opponent is allowed to fight back?

New documentary coming soon on Archangel Dojo:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0Oky...

The Other Kempo — Hawaii’s Forgotten Hybrid Martial Art

Would you like to see more videos about the different Kempo/Kenpo systems around the world?

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 160

Archangel Dojo

New video is out now.

Before the UFC.
Before Kudo.
Before modern MMA had a name.

Japan already had a fighting system built around punches, kicks, throws, joint locks and full resistance under protective armour.

That system was Nippon Kempo.

In this documentary, we explore how Muneomi Sawayama created one of Japan’s most overlooked full-contact fighting systems — and why Nippon Kempo was already asking a question that MMA would later force every martial art to answer:

What survives when the opponent is allowed to fight back?

Watch the video here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=413lH...

Also, if you want to go deeper into the history and transformation of karate, my book Way of the Empty Hand is available on Amazon:

www.amazon.com/dp/B0GS1LXGZV

And one more question:

Would you like the next documentary to explore the other Kempo — from Hawaii, Kajukenbo and John Hackleman to Chuck Liddell and the UFC?

Let me know in the comments.

4 weeks ago | [YT] | 159

Archangel Dojo

Chapter V of Way of the Empty Hand II is now live!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzSaU...



“The Man Who Crossed the Sea” follows Masahiko Kimura after the Helio Gracie fight, as the story moves away from arenas and into forgotten courtyards, old Japanese communities in Brazil, and the quiet training methods hidden behind closed doors.



This chapter explores Kimura’s encounter with Ogawa, the philosophy of Sanchin, and the realization that martial arts are not only about victory — but about what survives after the fight is over.



🥋 Tonight at 20:00 CET, a new full documentary premieres on the channel.

And if you want to support the project and explore the deeper history behind these stories:



📖 Way of the Empty Hand:
www.amazon.com/dp/B0GS1LXGZV



Thank you to everyone supporting the channel, the books, and this journey through the hidden history of karate.

1 month ago | [YT] | 113

Archangel Dojo

The story of Uechi-Ryu continues today.

In Part 1, we followed Kanbun Uechi — the man who carried a rare Chinese fighting tradition back to Okinawa and laid the foundation for one of karate’s most unusual styles.

Now, in Part 2, we go deeper into the art itself:

How did Uechi-Ryu evolve after Kanbun?
What did Kanei Uechi preserve — and what did he develop?
And why does this style still feel so different from almost every other branch of karate?

📌 Watch Part 1 here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lu8u6...

🥋 Uechi-Ryu Part 2 premieres today at 14:00 CET.

See you there.

1 month ago | [YT] | 153

Archangel Dojo

TONIGHT AT 20:00 CET – THE FORGOTTEN ROOTS OF UECHI-RYU

Prepare for a journey back to Okinawa. Tonight, we explore one of the most fascinating karate styles that has preserved its direct link to Chinese Kung Fu roots to this day.

This documentary is the result of extensive research and high-end production, maintaining the cinematic standard you’ve come to expect from Archangel Dojo.

What to expect in the premiere:

The historical path from Fujian to Okinawa.

An analysis of the techniques that defined this "hard-soft" style.

The forgotten stories of the masters who built Uechi-ryu.

📖 For a deeper dive into martial arts history:
You can find a more detailed analysis of the history and philosophy of karate in my book, "Way of the Empty Hand" (Prazne šake), available now on Amazon.

Get your copy here:

www.amazon.com/dp/B0CX96ZJ74

See you in the live chat tonight at 20:00 CET! 👊🔥

1 month ago | [YT] | 122